Itineraries Home » New South Wales Itineraries » Sydney Itineraries » A Day in La Perouse - Bare Island Fort Tour & Cape Banks Walk
Just 30 minutes' drive from CBD in Southeast of Sydney is La Perouse, a beautiful peninsula where Captain Arthur Phillip’s First Fleet initially landed in 1788, before deciding to settle at Sydney Cove. Well known for its stunning beaches and adventurous bushwalks, this place is a must-visit in Sydney. With this 1-day itinerary to La Perouse, you will be touring the Bare Island Fort as well as hiking to Cape Banks Edge while enjoying breathtaking bay and ocean views.
Getting there
La Perouse is a 30-minute drive from CBD and is also easily accessible by public transportation.
Free street parking is plentiful at La Perouse however do note that it gets very crowded on the weekends as well as public holidays. It’s also a favourite sunset viewing spot amongst the locals!
Book your rental car via Rentalcars.com below at cheaper prices!
Bare Island Fort Guided Tour
Captain Cook first spotted the area now known as Bare Island in 1770, and referred to it in his journal as 'a small bare island'. The fort was built in the early 1880s to protect Sydney’s back door. It was in operation until 1908, after which time it became Australia's first war veterans' home. The water surrounding Bare Island Fort is a popular spot for scuba diving and snorkelling and is home to soft coral, sea stars, pretty sponge gardens and pygmy seahorses. If these facts don’t impress you to visit this beautiful place yet, Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible 2 was filmed at this fort, so impressed now?
|
|
Visiting the fort is only possible by a guided tour from NSW National Parks. The tour needs to be pre-booked via NSW National Parks website; details on tour times and costs are available on their website as well. On the day of the tour, cross the 130-year-old (as of writing this post) wooden bridge and meet the tour guide at the fort gates. We booked the 1:30PM session and the tour lasted 45 minutes, highlighting Bare Island Fort's unpredictable history.
|
|
|
|
Upon completion of the tour, we spent some time at the little bay beneath the bridge (accessed via the stairs near the fort entrance) taking in the spectacular views before heading to Cape Banks Edge.
|
|
Hike to Cape Banks Edge
| Cape Banks Walking Track - Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| Trailhead | La Perouse (Cann Park) |
| Trail Type | Out and Back |
| Distance | 7.88km |
| Duration | 2.5 - 3.5 hours |
| Accumulated Elevation Gain | 146m |
| Difficulty | Grade 3 (with occasional steps) |
The walk to Cape Banks Edge commences at the set of stairs near Cann Park carpark.
Public toilets are available near the walk commencement point so make sure to use them before setting out as there are no toilet facilities anywhere else along the walking track. There is also a water bubbler here so make sure to fill your hydration packs/water bottles.
A map of the walking trail is provided below.
A map of the walking trail is provided below.
The walk is on a mixed set of terrains, i.e. boardwalk, walking track with occassional steps and steep sections and a little bit of rocky path as well.
|
|
|
For all the tall people out there, make sure to watch out for the spider webs on the walking trail (there are hundreds of them!) as they will be very close to your head. I'm not sure if they are poisonous but why take a chance?!
Stop #1: Congwong Beach
Head down the flight of stairs and within 100 metres, you will reach Congwong Beach. It's a beautiful beach so make sure to spend some time here; or, it also would make sense to relax at the beach on your way back!
Stop #2: Henry Head
As you walk across Congwong Beach, you’ll see at the end of the beach that the trail splits into two tracks with one (to your right – Little Congwong Beach Track) leading to Little Congwong Beach and the other (to your left) leading to Henry Head.
|
|
Continue on the track to your left leading to Henry Head. At approximately 200 metres, you’ll see the Henry Head Walking Track commencing on your right.
Continue on the Henry Head Walking Track as per the map provided above, until you reach the intersection shown below.
We’ll visit Browns Rock on our way back so continue straight on the Henry Head Walking Track until you reach, of course, Henry Head! Spend some time exploring the ruins of Henry Head Fort, the bunkers and Henry Head Lighthouse.
|
|
|
Stop #3: Cruwee Cove Beach
When you’re done with a little bit of relaxing and photos of Henry Head, follow the signs to Cape Banks.
|
|
Our next stop is Cruwee Cove Beach (750m from Henry Head).
|
|
From Cruwee Cove Beach, you’ll need to walk on a rocky path to your left for a little while until you see the well-formed steps and the boardwalk.
From here, continue on the walking trail until you reach Cape Banks Bridge. You'll also be crossing a golf course on the way so make sure that you watch out for signs to not enter into the golf course!
Stop #4: Cape Banks Edge
Walk past the bridge and continue on the trail until you reach Cape Banks Edge. From here, you’ll have a spectacular 360-degree view of the bay and the ocean so spend some time immersing yourself in nature!
Stop #5: Cape Banks
For the usual, it’s time for the return walk however if you’re quite adventurous like us and would like to take this visit to a different level, carefully climb down the rocks to access Cape Banks, where you’ll enjoy a spectacularly close view of the ocean. Make sure that it’s absolutely safe for you to climb down before doing so! Trust me, you’ll forget the time like a child, sitting forever watching the waves hit the rocks up so close!!
|
|
Last Stop: Browns Rock
Now, it’s time for the return walk! For your return walk, once you reach the Cape Banks Bridge, turn left to return back via the same route as your onward journey to visit Browns Rock. You will pass through Cruwee Cover Beach and Henry Head before arriving at the Browns Rock intersection.
From here, follow the Browns Rock Walking Track along the closely chained wooden steps very carefully (the steps are so close to each other!) for 300 metres until you arrive at Browns Rock, a famous fishing spot in the region. However, do note that the 300m walk back from Browns Rock to the Browns Rock intersection has a 50m elevation and is a very strenuous climb! Considering that there is nothing much to do at Browns Rock, feel free to skip the visit to Browns Rock, if you feel so!
Note: If you aren't keen to visit Browns Rock, you can take the trail on your right when you arrive at Cape Banks Bridge and that will get you to Cann Park carpark via The Coast Hospital Cemetery (distance: 3km). That way, you will be able to do a circuit loop walk as well.
Note: If you aren't keen to visit Browns Rock, you can take the trail on your right when you arrive at Cape Banks Bridge and that will get you to Cann Park carpark via The Coast Hospital Cemetery (distance: 3km). That way, you will be able to do a circuit loop walk as well.
|
|
From Browns Rock, walk back on the Browns Rock Walking Track until you reach the Browns Rock intersection. Follow the trail to your left and continue on the walking trail until you reach Congwong Beach and then Cann Park carpark, where you commenced your walk.
Other famous attractions in La Perouse
- If you have time in the morning before the Bare Island Fort Tour, visit La Perouse Museum which is located on the headland at the end of Anzac Parade. The museum houses the complete Atlas of the Voyage of La Perouse and tells the ongoing story of this important suburb in Sydney’s history, including that of the local Aboriginal community. Check NSW National Parks’ website for timings.
- Macquarie Watchtower, next to La Perouse Museum is a great spot as well. Visit this historic stone building to learn about Sydney’s colonial and convict past.
- Pack a picnic and head to Little Congwong Beach.
- Or, head to Frenchman’s Beach at the far end of La Perouse.
Our Itinerary
1:00PM |
Arrive at La Perouse. |
1:30PM - 2:15PM |
Enjoy the tour of Bare Island Fort. |
2:30PM - 5:30PM |
Hike to Cape Banks, enjoying spectacular views of the bay and the ocean. |
After 5:30PM |
Relax at Congwong Beach, enjoy the sunset at La Perouse Point (map provided in Getting there section at the top of this page) and head back home! |
|
Share this post on:
|
|
Love our itinerary? Excited to visit La Perouse? Book your accommodation via Booking.com below at cheaper prices!
If you have an exciting itinerary that you’d like to be hosted in the Guests’ Itineraries section of our website, please contact us at [email protected] and we are super excited to collaborate with you on the same.
This post may contain affiliate links which means that at zero additional cost for you, we will earn a small commission if you decide to buy something via the links provided. This helps us in running our website. Thank you!
This post may contain affiliate links which means that at zero additional cost for you, we will earn a small commission if you decide to buy something via the links provided. This helps us in running our website. Thank you!